Studying is hard.

Since the last post, I've been spending much of my free time ignoring you and studying up for the GRE. The test is just over five weeks away, so I'm working my way through a practice book and a stack of vocabulary flash cards virtually guaranteed to result in a better score on the GRE ... or at least, that's what they say. Thanks to my prep book, I've learned how to tackle analogies ( me : analogies = linebacker : quarterback) and tear through sentence ________ (completions).

However, the only thing I've learned from the flash cards is that some of these words have to be fake.

I mean, I have a fairly large vocabulary. I was a Journalism major, I've always enjoyed reading and I play a mean game of Boggle. So how is it that I've never heard of the majority of them?

Exactly. Fake!

Glad you see it my way. Unfortunately, I don't think arguing with the ETS over the validity of their vocabulary will earn me any bonus points, so it looks like I'll be studying them regardless. But, I promise not to bore you every post with GRE updates and I promise not to confuse you by incorporating my new, fancy-schmancy vocabulary words.

After all, we both know I'm not actually going to remember them.

Here Goes Nothing

Well I've been thinking about it for a while, and - I'm going to Graduate School this fall! I (literally) just applied to take the GRE and I am bursting-at-the-seams excited!

Which, of course, is why I immediately jumped at the opportunity to tell you all about it. Since graduation - give or take a day - I've been thinking about going back to school. But, like everyone else, a million things put it on the back burner. 

"I am NOT going to be a bartender with a master's degree." - initial job hunting days sucked.

"I just started at this job, I CAN'T distract myself with school right now." - entry-level suck-up.

"Agh! I'm engaged! planplanplanplanplanBREATHEplan!"- wedding planning takes a lot out of ya. 

And here we are. Two months after our wedding day and I'm registered for the GRE. And I think Darrell is just as excited about it as I am; although, perhaps just because if I'm studying, he can play video games...

But at any rate, he's excited. And I'm excited. And Cooper...well...

Love you too, pup.

Just Can't Help Ourselves

Wow am I glad it's Friday. 

Our company's national sales meeting was this week, completely online, so I've been spending the majority of my time with a phone to my ear and my hands to the keyboard. And today - I wake up with a stiff neck and absolutely could not turn my head to the left without excruciating pain.

Thank you, work, for literally being a pain in my neck.

Outside of that, life is finally getting back to normal. We've made it through the holidays and - gasp! - we actually have a weekend in front of us without plans for visitors or for to go out of town. This hasn't been the case since before the wedding, and quite frankly, we didn't know what to do with ourselves.

Yes - you guessed it; we made plans. But only for less than 24 hours of the weekend and only to visit my parents so Darrell can go hunting. I'm excited about this for three reasons:

1. I get to go shopping with my mom at Ikea; and
2. My dog gets to go hunting, which makes him very happy and very, very tired.
3. I like my dog happy and tired.

And actually, we finally got our thank you notes in the mail today, so I'll probably try wrangling Darrell pen-in-hand to help. I know, just when he thought everything wedding-related was over; but, he does have better handwriting than me...

Besides, we'll be home in time to watch the Packers playoff game on Sunday. Which makes me a good wife, right?

Right. Go Pack!

TwentyEleven

I did it. I made a New Year's resolution that I could keep, and then did. 

I told people about you, little bloggy. 

Now, to be fair, I did it via twitter and Facebook around 1:00 a.m. New Year's Day, so probably only a slim few were awake or coherent enough to read that message and thereby only a few actually know, but I said I would release you today and I DID. Even if it was the chicken way to do it. :)

So now, I'm starting this year out on the right foot. I'm doing something that I love - writing - and I'll be doing my best to do it often. Which explains why even though there are still people at the house, I'm sitting at my laptop. Granted, the boys are busy dominating on COD (or so I hear) and Kylee is taking a nap...

Anyway, all of that aside, I'm looking forward to all that 2011 will bring. I'll spare you the boring recount of all of 2010 (see first post) but it was a busy year. A lot has changed in my life from getting married to buying a house, but I'm certain there's still a lot that this year can surprise me with.

And I'll be chattering away about all of it, right here.